English, baby!

Time Off Before College

Date: Mar 14 2008

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Finishing high school is a crossroads of sorts. You can go straight into your career, or you can keep going to school.

But just because you picked one plan doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind. People leave school to go work all the time. And after working for a few years, a lot of people go back to school.

Neither Marni nor Devan finished college right after school and Devan’s a little nervous about it. But since Marni is a few years older, she can give Devan advice about it.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Devan

Marni

Devan: So I just started college after taking three years off after high school.

Marni: Oh yeah?

Devan: I’m feeling completely out of practice. I’m a little overwhelmed because all of the other kids that are my age are already seniors and they’re graduating this year, and I’m just a freshman and I feel kind of at a disadvantage.

Marni: Really? Well, I don’t know. I kind of did the same thing. I started college right after high school and I did a year and it was just too much, and I took some time off and went back. I actually felt like I appreciated my education more because I was ready for it and, you know…

Devan: That’s interesting. That’s a good point. I think that’s why I didn’t go after high school is because I wasn’t ready. I needed a break.

Marni: Exactly.

Devan: Did it take you a while to remember how to format papers and stuff like that?

Marni: Yeah, and I was an English major so I had to do a lot of that. But you catch on quickly and you just kind of power through and…Are you taking a lot of credits? Because if you overload yourself, you know, right away, it can be overwhelming.

Devan: I’m trying to take it slow and ease back into it. But I’m excited. Hopefully my outside experience will help me.

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3

Go Super to Ask Ebaby! teachers your questions!

The iTEP^® test

Sponsored by

Schedule an iTEP^® test and take the official English Practice Test.
Take Now >

Discussion

After three years of not going to school, Devan just started college. She says it’s a little strange since the other students her age are about to graduate and she’s just starting out.

Marni went to college for one year, but then left to work for a while. When she came back, she didn’t feel weird about it like Devan. She was glad to back and felt like she could finally appreciate her education. She admits that it took her a little while to remember how to write papers properly, but she also says it wasn’t too hard to get back into it.

Which do you think is best? To go to college as soon as possible and be the same age as the other people there, or to work for a little while and then go back to school?

Comments

< Previous
81 through 91 of 91
1 ... 3 4 5

sunnylinda

China

it reminds of the goog old days in my college. how nice. i need to study when iam free. what will be happend back to school? i miss all of old classmate .. where are they?

sunnylinda

China

it reminds of the goog old days in my college. how nice. i need to study when iam free. what will be happend back to school? i miss all of old classmate .. where are they?

sunnylinda

China

it reminds of the goog old days in my college. how nice. i need to study when iam free. what will be happend back to school? i miss all of old classmate .. where are they?

dearpesar

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

the sooner the better and most of all is to be a top student…. hardworker….. curious…...

successjerry

Macao

i dont think so,in my opinion,anything would happen if u go to work after graduating, it is hard to say that u will choose which one,because there are much factors that will influence your choice.

chreecici

China

Maybe in china,so many students start their career after the college,for you know it is very difficult to work just finished his high school.in other words,many student worked after their college,and go back to school to get a master degree,which is very popular in China now.you know,it is very hard to find your direction when you just graduate,so after calculated some experience,and find your own aim,so go back to school to learn more,and improve your own ability which aspect you are lack of.in my opinion,age is not a promblem nowadays,and you can get more than others study at school continully~~

wiwj1999

China

really, it depends.there is a say "live and learn".and also you are never too old to learn.going back to school is just one of the approaches.

hutbiti

Viet Nam

I think everyone has his own life. A person can go to the college or go to work depends on his ability & situation. I know in Vietnam, there are many students who are very good at, but their family budgets arent enough for them to follow their ambition. They have to do past time job as well as study, and they do both well. Those are brave people that got over their destiny. The last thing i wanna share with you is your destiny that is in your hand, you can control it by yourself.

bingheshui

China

I think different people have different opinions. After finishing high school, going to work, or going to study in the college, it is not the most important thing. We just have to decided the one that fit us best. If you go to work straightly , after a few years , you find it is necessary to enrich yourself, and then go back to school, ages at this time is not a issue. Maybe you can get more than other people from studying , because , after work ,it is much cleareer for you to know what you really need in your work than them.In my school , there are a lot of people like this. and they do very well .

icingblue813

China

I don't think this will work in china.If you don't start college right after high school or you just leave during the college period,then it is not easy for you to go back.I think it is because that the educational system in America is far cry from here.

I also think it is a good point when Marni says that she was ready for it.A lot of students don't know why they go for college,what are they really love.Most of the things when they do in high school are just doing homeworks,recite language points and whatever such kind of things in order to get a high mark.Then they can choose a better university.

I didn't prepare well to start college after high school too.I knew little about myself and all the kind of majors.But luckily enough,I eventually find the answer through those tough years in university.And I think actually it is not so important which major you take in college,it is more important to get to know about yourself better ,cultivate a great personality and to be better man through the campus' life .whatever you learn in college,it will finally pay off~

Donny--chou

China

I think it depends on which major are you taking, the point is you can choice each of this two way as you like in these english spoken country, but in China, you must to go to college right away just after finished your high school, you must be the same age as the other people.